Gardeners in the know mark their
calendars a year in advance. The Trade Secrets sale in Connecticut’s Litchfield
Hills is a rare chance to shop for treasures from nearly 60 important growers
and vendors of unique plants and garden antiques. The sale, scheduled for Saturday,
May 19th at LionRock Farm in Sharon, is followed on Sunday with a tour of four exquisite
private gardens.
Many celebrities are among the shoppers seeking
the unique from specialized growers and some of the nation's best known small
nurseries, as well as furniture, antiques, and garden statuary from the finest dealers
in garden antiques, wrought-iron fencing and other exceptional decorations for
the garden.
Visitors to the show will enjoy a
presentation by owner, Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey, a boutique farm known
for a spectacular edible garden as well as its honeybees.
The Sunday tour will feature two perennial
favorites, the spectacular gardens of Bunny Williams and John Rosselli and the
41-acre futuristic estate of Jack Hyland and Larry Wente. Two new gardens
this year are the Linden Hill Farm owned by Richard deBart and Debra
Blair, owner of Debra Blair Associates in New York City, and Hawk Hill
Farm owned by Robert & Jane Keiter.
For the 12th year, all proceeds from the
annual event go directly to Women's Support Services, an organization aiding
victims of domestic violence.
Tickets for the rare plant and garden antique sale
on Saturday are $35 for regular admission from 10am to 3pm and $100 for
"early buying" tickets. Tickets for Sunday's garden tours are
$70 ($60 in advance). Advance tickets will be available for order
beginning April 1st from the event web site, www.tradesecretsct.com.
